Fluxing devices



. Feb. 18, 1958 A. P. Ml-:IER ETAL 2,823,633

FLUxIgG DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1953 INVEIVTOR'v g. una? B 5: i9. PEN/50N,

TT/NEY.

FLUXING DEVICES Meien Bloomfield, and' Sylvester-P. )Denison Belleville, N; Ja, assigno'rs to"A Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh; Pa., a corporation Vof Pennsylvania Application December 3, 1953, Serial.No..-39 5,9i96l Tlii'sh'ven'tion relates to iluxng';devicesY for'la'mp b'ase outlets, and more particularly t'o'a` fountain type of.v device *forFftha-tpnrpose. v

Eort's' haveV 'beenA made in .the past rto apply ux to terminal pins by' dipping the'pinsinto apool of ux or 'by depressing the' pins into a `sponge material at the topvoff a pool oflux'. Such methods are `not applicable practically forV applying iluxto a lamp base :terminal in View" ofthe" short length of projecting wire and need: to conlne'the ux in close vicinity thereto. Y

An object of the present invention is to provide an I'IPIO'VedS fluxi'ng device wherein the area upon which the flux" l'S applied iS limited to the-immediate area to be soldered.

Another object of 'tlieinvention is to repetitiously apply` the same amount of ilux to successively presented l'arflp' base' terminals.

further' object ofv the invention is to provide -a IelP'CtitiouSlyf equal' amount of flux to the successively presented lamp base terminals irrespective of the qnai1 tit'yof ux still .availablein the reservoir.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a .device of the' character indicated which will function. -properly and ele'c'tively athigh speed'for meeting needs-ofl presentday automatic lamp machines which fabricate lamps; at the rate of.' 1'500 .or ymore vper hour. 4

Other 'objects` of the invention will be apparent' togperf sons skilled in the art to which it appertains as vthe .description proceeds, both by direct recit-ation thereofand by implication from the context.

' Referring'y to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts .throughout the. severaly views:

Figure lis a. sectional elevation of a portion :oi .,a Iampffabricating machineshowing -a` lamp .in aholder at anfindexed' position at which the viluxing deviceofthe present invention is located;

Figures 2. and 3 are vertical sectional views of the device respectively in` positions disengaged from `the lamp and engaged therewith; and

`Figures 4, 5 and 6 are cross sectionsl of Fig. 2takeny respectively on` lines IV-IV, V-V and-VI-VI thereof.

In the speciiic embodiment of the inventionI illustrated: insaid4 drawings, the machine provides' al spider or `other conveyor 10 ('Fig. 1) having a plurality of holders `1-1` of which one is shown for a lamp 12 whichv successivelyv indexes-from station to station as well understood; in tliis art'.A Fixed,; as hya bracket 13, at one of 'the stations'is the'device of the present invention inv such relation to" the indexing holder that it will be directly above :the lamp ,carried by a holder when indexed to that station.

The device provides an upright cylindrical reservoir' L11-(Figs.113),y withanexternal bearing sleeve l5 thereon: for mounting the reservoir to reciprocate vertiealiyinthe-1 bracket 13. Asbest shown. in' Figures' l and 4,A

studs I6-on av common diameter. of the sleeve l5v project! Y n 2,823,633 Patenten Feb. 1s, 195s bracket. The upper ,endsof the* links are pivotally-:hnng vfrom the forkedends `of a rocker arm' 19 .which spans the bracket 'and'.wl'l'ich` is operatedY in timedVv relation to the indexing mechanism so that the `sleeve 15 andiresgervoirxvill'` be: lowered and raised while the lamp. is in-- dexel' to a position'therebelow. I t may be Ahere observed' that c.vli'ndr-icall rservoir 14' is .medew be ,removable 'from thefbjealing sleeve 15forfc1'eaning or'other purposes and .frtlat 'reason Shown with' a dOWnWardlY klife C51 P'e Plir'al"loldefiznear the tOP Gnd' thereof" whlth lsjeatson `the npper end. of" thesleeve 115.' Contiguousto the .Lower end gfth sleeve. the cylindrical reservoir 114 .has .anexternal ps'rlnheral groove 2 1 which receives@ A...'sil'ent split' ring' which also nrotrudes therefrom@ ',erlfe A'the 'lowered of thesaidsleve .15 inensage- ,mentftherewith The reservoi'ris therefore held the vSleeve .and consequently will' reciprocate therewith in 'The ,bottom .en Qfthe reserver (FT s. 2 andsrhs a'flarge' threaded" hole 12 3.therethrough which v.receives a ,threads .,r1eC.1-i,Z.4.ofv 'anozzle .Casing 25 .coaxialto the reservoir. and depending, therebelow. Below the .neck 2 3 saidcasing widens ,lto provide a shoulder 26. faengttnwardly :toward the vbottom of `the reservoir. A gasket 27 between said Yshoulder and reservoir preventsleakg? otux. 28 ,or othencontents .of the reservoir.

yLongitudinally 1slidable within the nozzle ,casingl v(Figs. -1'-3 and'Q) is acoaxialtnbular nozzle..29. 'Ifhe lower `encl of .this nozzle receives a vdauber, Y3.0 .therein .which valso protrudes for partof its length helowthe lowerend of ,-thefnrozzle.. `Said dauber is vof suitablesoit 4absorbent Aor ,spongymateriaL such as felt, spongefrnb.- .b erfand the like ofsa characterlhat will labsorla` andretain `Jinx fed thereto .trom `.above ,andfvsurrender agiven quantity thereof at its lower end-when Apressedagainst...a surface. Above the dauber, the `passageway317,111 ,the

` nozzle.; 29 is somewbatsmaller in ydiameter sothezdauher cannot bepushed inward beyond itsilllllded position.

The `lower end ,portion Aof Y the .interior ,of themezele casing .25 andexteri-or of `the ,nozzle 29 chavenV sliding ptit, yand thereabove. the nozzleasing ,an enlarged 'bore :32 .which accommodates ,a lperipheral, rib .B3-.on `the exterior of the nozzle. .cornpressionspringltis llocated in said enlarged Ebore 32 above said rrihangl ,bears upon said fribtfto hold .the nozzle normally :inits downward position with .therib` also acting asa Ystop by engagement vwith the ybottom of .thewenlargedbore ,Further upward of 'thef-nozzle casing the interior .bore Yis again increased in.diameter and yprovidesran interiorly :threaded ,hollow 35 ,extending upwardly Vlto .open at .the upper A,end of .neckrZiL A bushing 36 of greater outside `diameter V`than saidenlarged bore 32 zisvlocated Ain .said -hollow35 andseatsaganSt the bottom thereof. It `may be noted in this -Vxconnection that aforementioned com' pression spring 3.4 bears at its upper .end against `,the under face of said bushing 36. Said bushing has Y.a sliding lit.atitsfinterionwith theex-terior cylindricalsurface of nozzleY 29, and may furthermorebe :provided -withran interposed ring seal 37 around thenozzle `and an Iexterior ringwseal z38aronnd .the bushing `36 and in the `nozzle I.easing 25. I

Screwed into'the threaded hollow 3S .(Figs. ,2 Aand.) :atfthefnpperend of nozzlecasing 25 vis la nipple 39 which sea-ts .at its;lower end, against said bushing 36 for holding Y relation away from the side wall thereof. Said nipple'l'is hollow -fand cylindrical and coaxial Vto the reservoiriand tothe nozzle'. VA- plurality of lateral orifices 40 are proL vided through -the--sides of said nipple 39 for-admitting Atimid,such-.as athe'fux 28, from the reservoir to the interior fine mesh girdles said nipple and overlies said orifices 40. The mesh of the strainer 41 is appropriate to admit norymal passage of the uid, but small enough to oier impedance to rapid ow from sudden pressure. A cap 42 has screw thread engagement with the upper end of nipple 39 to seal the nipple thereat, said cap also functioning -to hold the strainer 41 from displacement from the nipple. y

Within the nipple 39 there is provided a valve housing 43 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) which is tubular and threaded onto the upper end of nozzle 29, said housing having an internal downwardly facing valve seat 44 adjacent to its upper end. A valve head 45 is located within said housing adjacent to and adapted to close against said valve seat in normal position under inuence` of a compression spring 46. Said spring is within said housing 43 and rests at its lower end against the upper end of nozzle 29 and presses at its upper end against the under face of the valve head. A valve stem 47 integral with said valve head projects upwardly through the valve seat and terminates in proximity to the under side of the cap 42 which closes the upper end of nipple 39. The relationship is such that spring 46 holds the valve head 45 normally closed against the valve seat, but when the nozzle 29 is pushed upward the said stem 47 engages said cap 42 and keeps the valve head 45 from continuing upward movement so that further upward movement of the nozzle opens the valve to passage of lluid 28 to the interior of the valve housing 25 and nozzle 29. l

In view of the construction described, upward movement of the nozzle 29 functions as a plunger and decreases the volume capacity available within the subdivision of the reservoir 14 comprised within the nipple 39, and consequently obtains a differential of increased pressure therein from the normal pressure exerted by the head of lfluid 28 in the reservoir, due in part to the impedance to escape of lluid back to the reservoir through the strainers 41. A spurt of uid is therefore injected through the valve into the valve housing 43 and nozzle 29 each time the nozzle is forced upward and the valve opening is made to pass, each time, just the requisite amount to satisfy the need of the dauber 30 for a single application of llux. The uid in the valve housing 43 and nozzle 29 is `not under pressure so that its gravity ow to the dauber 30 does not cause the dauber to drip or to apply an excess of ux to the surface being treated. The mass of uid within the nipple 39 is small enough and adequately confined to not be adversely inuenced by momentum or creation of waves to interfere in the least with repetitiously constant amount of fluid passing to the nozzle 29. Furthermore, since it is primarily the plunger action of the nozzle 29 and valve housing 43 which causes injection of the dosage of ilux past the valve seat 44, variation in the head of uid in the reservoir makes no material change in the quantity injected each time the valve operates. Since the reservoir moves up and down and contains a considerable volume of fluid, a cover 48 is preferably provided to not only keep the fluid from becoming contaminated, but also to keep it from splashing out of the reservoir.

Finally, it is to be observed that the lamp 12 (Figs. l3) has a center terminal comprising a disc or other circular metallic end member 49 through which a lead-in Wire 50 projects, and that it is the purpose of the device of this invention to apply ux to said member and wire so that, at a subsequent station as the machine indexes, said member 49 and wire 50 may be soldered. The dauber is of a diameter less than that of the disc 49 and is squeezed down onto the disc only enough to extrude a limited required amount of the ilux 2S from the dauber. The resiliency of the dauber not only permits the squeezing action but also accommodates the projecting end of the lead-in wire. The limited area of contact of the dauber 30 and the limited feed of :llux 28 thereto confines the ,4 ux within the area of the disc 49 and promotes proper soldering likewise within the contines of the disc area.

We claim:

l. A device for fluxing an article comprising a reservoir for fluid ux, a nozzle projecting from said reservoir, valve means on said nozzle for admitting a predetermined amount of uid ux to said nozzle from said reservoir, means between said reservoir and said valve means for impeding the rapid ow of uid flux from said reservoir 'to said valve means due to sudden pressure and a dauber in the outer end of the nozzle adapted to absorb said predetermined amount of fluid flux as fed to the nozzle through said valve means from the reservoir, means for reciprocating said reservoir toward said article to cause said dauber to engage and be compressed against said article to flux said article and to cause said nozzle to move with respect to said reservoir to open said valve means and permit the passage of said predetermined amount of fluid flux to said nozzle from said reservoir.

2. A device for uxing an article comprising a reservoir for fluid flux having an internal nipple therein constituting a subdivision of the interior of said reservoir, a nozzle reciprocable in said reservoir and having means to normally project the nozzle outwardly of said reservoir, valve means on said nozzle within said subdivision for admitting a predetermined amount of uid flux t0 said nozzle from said reservoir, said valve means comprising a valve housing provided with a valve seat, a valve head engageable with said seat and protruding from said housing and means to normally project the valve head inwardly of the reservoir to seat said valve head on said valve seat, stop means on said nipple engageable with said valve head to unseat the valve head and admit said predetermined amount of fluid llux to said nozzle, and means for reciprocating said reservoir toward said article to cause said dauber to engage and be compressed against said article to flux said article and to cause said nozzle and said valve housing to move with respect to said reservoir and said valve head to engage said stop means thereby opening said valve means and permitting the passage of said predetermined amount of.

uid flux to said nozzle from said reservoir.

3. A device for fluxing an article comprising a reservoir for uid i'lux having an internal nipple therein constituting a subdivision of the interior of said reservoir, a nozzle reciprocable in said reservoir and having means to normally project the nozzle outwardly of said reservoir, valve means on said nozzle within said subdivision for admitting a predetermined amount of fluid flux to said nozzle from said reservoir, said valve means comprising a valve housing provided with a valve seat, a valve head engageable with said seat and protruding from saidrhousing and means to normally project the valve head inwardly of the reservoir to seat said valve head on said valve seat, stop means on said nipple engageable with said valve head to unseat the valve head and admit said predetermined amount of iluid ilux to said nozzle, a dauber in the outer end of the nozzle adapted to absorb said predetermined amount of fluid ux as fed to the nozzle through said valve means from the reservoir, and means for reciprocating said reservoir toward said article to cause said dauber to engage and be compressed against said article to flux said article and to cause said nozzle and said valve housing to move with respect to said reservoir and said valve head to engage said stop means thereby opening said valve means and permitting the passage of said predetermined amount of lluid ux to said nozzle from said reservoir.

4. A device for uxing an article comprising a reservoir for fluid flux having an internal nipple therein constituting a subdivision of the interior of said reservoir, a nozzle reciprocable in said reservoir and having means to normally project the nozzle outwardly of said reser voir, valve means on said nozzle within said subdivisionv for admitting a predetermined amount of iluid. llux tov said nozzle from said reservoir, said valve means comprsing a valve housing provided with a valve seat, a valve head engageable with said seat and protruding from said housing and means to normally project the valve head inwardly of the reservoir to seat said valve head on said valve seat, stop means on said nipple engageable with said valve head to unseat the valve head and admit said predetermined amount of uid ux to said nozzle, means between said reservoir and said valve means for impeding the rapid ow of Huid ux from said reservoir to said valve means due to sudden pressure, and a dauber in the outer end of the nozzle adapted to absorb said predetermined amount of uid ux as fed to the nozzle through said valve means from the reser voir, means for reciprocating said reservoir toward said article to cause said dauber to engage and be compressed against said article to flux said article and to cause said nozzle and said valve housing to move with respect to said reservoir and said valve head to engage said stop means thereby opening said valve means and permitting the passage of said predetermined amount of fluid flux to said noule from said reservoir.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 517,515 Bernreuther Apr. 3, 1894 1,090,095 Blanford Mar. 10, 1914 2,069,386 Palucki Feb. 2, 1937 2,172,550 Stull Sept. 12, 1939 2,194,819 Brownstein Mar. 26, 1940 2,252,542 Beeh Aug. 12, 1941 2,268,876 Kagley Jan. 6, 1942 2,654,342 Marriott Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 461,386 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1937 

